Product Description

"We the Media, has become something of a bible for those who believe the online medium will change journalism for the better." - "Financial Times". Big Media has lost its monopoly on the news, thanks to the Internet. Now that it's possible to publish in real time to a worldwide audience, a new breed of grassroots journalists are taking the news into their own hands. Armed with laptops, cell phones, and digital cameras, these readers-turned-reporters are transforming the news from a lecture into a conversation. In "We the Media", nationally acclaimed newspaper columnist and blogger Dan Gillmor tells the story of this emerging phenomenon and sheds light on this deep shift in how we make - and consume - the news. Gillmor shows how anyone can produce the news, using personal blogs, Internet chat groups, email, and a host of other tools. He sends a wake-up call to newsmakers - politicians, business executives, celebrities - and the marketers and PR flacks who promote them. He explains how to successfully play by the rules of this new era and shift from "control" to "engagement." And, he makes a strong case to his fell journalists that, in the face of a plethora of Internet-fueled news vehicles, they must change or become irrelevant. Journalism in the 21st century will be fundamentally different from the Big Media oligarchy that prevails today. "We the Media" casts light on the future of journalism, and invites us all to be part of it. Dan Gillmor is founder of Grassroots Media Inc., a project aimed at enabling grassroots journalism and expanding its reach. The company's first launch is Bayosphere.com, a site "of, by, and for the San Francisco Bay Area." From 1994-2004, Gillmor was a columnist at the "San Jose Mercury News", Silicon Valley's daily newspaper, and wrote a weblog for SiliconValley.com. He joined the "Mercury News" after six years with the Detroit Free Press. Before that, he was with the "Kansas City Times" and several newspapers in Vermont. He has won or shared in several regional and national journalism awards. Before becoming a journalist, he played music professionally for seven years.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #19713 in Books
• Published on: 2006-01-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 334 pages

www.it-enquirer.com - October 2004
We, The Media is an important book because it uncovers an evolution that is taking place right under our noses.

From the Publisher
In We the Media, nationally acclaimed newspaper columnist and blogger Dan Gillmor shows how anyone can produce the news, using personal blogs, Internet chat groups, email, and a host of other tools. He tells the story of this emerging phenomenon and sheds light on this deep shift in how we make--and consume--the news. Journalism in the 21st century will be fundamentally different from the Big Media oligarchy that prevails today. We the Media casts light on the future of journalism, and invites us all to be part of it.

About the Author
Dan Gillmor recently left the San Jose Mercury News, where he was a nationally known columnist, to start a grassroots journalism project. The company is called Grassroots Media Inc., and the first project is Bayosphere.com, a site "of, by and for the Bay Area" in northern California. Gillmor has been consistently listed by industry publications as among the most influential journalists in his field and has won or shared in several regional and national journalism awards.

Customer Reviews

The bible of citizen journalism
In online journalism circles Dan Gillmor is seen as something of a guru of citizen journalism, and this book shows why. It demonstrates his extensive knowledge of the form, in readable and clear prose, covering the rise of bloggers and citizen journalists, how the news media and politicians have reacted, and where the future might take us. Any budding journalist should read this.